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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this dark comedy about jail isn't for kids. Teens may very well want to see it, though, since it stars Punk'd phenomenon Dax Shepard. The movie is rife with adult-oriented references to topics like gay sex, humans being sold to other humans, murder and other crimes, and cross-dressing men, to name a few. That said, the movie's theme is how to get revenge on someone who's already dead -- which isn't exactly grown-up!

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What's the story?

John Lyshitski (Dax Shepard) is a career criminal who's figured out how to get revenge on the now-dead judge who sent him to prison: watch gleefully as the official's obnoxious son, Nelson Biederman IV (Will Arnett), tries to navigate the prison system. When Nelson is wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to the pen, John gets himself thrown back in the clink and becomes Nelson's cellmate, ensuring that his new buddy gets the "full treatment." John's first advice for Nelson? The joint's a scary place, so make friends fast. Naturally, Nelson quickly offends the wrong cons and is sold -- by John -- to Barry (Chi McBride) for some cuddling. But just as John is basking in sweet revenge, things go oh so wrong. Nelson turns the tables and becomes the Big Man in the Big House ... which means that things aren't looking so good for John, after all.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

If you like deadpan humor -- in this case, skillfully delivered by Shepard -- Let's Go to Prison is a funny satire on the justice system. But with references to all sorts of adult-oriented stuff -- gay sex, lap dances, drugs, and prison violence, just to name a few -- it's definitely not for kids.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about how to stay out of the prison system. What do you think jail is really like? Is it anything like what's shown in the movie? Why do some people find it so hard to escape the prison system? What can society do to help change that, if anything? Also, why is revenge never really as sweet as the media would have you believe?

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